China’s global plan to vaccinate its citizens faces production problems
- About 200,000 Chinese nationals overseas had been vaccinated under the Spring Seedling Action programme as of last month
- But country does not have enough production capacity to satisfy both domestic and international demand, academic says
China’s vaccine makers have shipped millions of ready-made doses and bulk ingredients overseas since last year as part of a vaccine diplomacy drive, making the country a global leader in supplying jabs to the citizens of dozens of countries.
That also means tens of millions of Chinese nationals living overseas can get vaccinations supplied by Beijing, though it is not clear if China will be able to produce enough to meet demand at home and abroad.
China’s initial vaccine roll-out prioritised citizens who needed to travel overseas, said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.
“That Chinese citizens living abroad can also have access to China’s home-made vaccines is consistent with this policy,” he said.